Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples (Readers Circle)

Life is both sweet and cruel to strong-willed young Shabanu, whose home is the windswept Cholistan Desert of Pakistan. The second daughter in a family with no sons, she’s been allowed freedoms forbidden to most Muslim girls. But when a tragic encounter with a wealthy and powerful landowner ruins the marriage plans of her older sister, Shabanu is called upon to sacrifice everything she’s dreamed of. Should she do what is necessary to uphold her family’s honor—or listen to the stirrings of her own heart?

Suzanne grew up in Pennsylvania, and was a liberal arts major in college. After graduation, she had various jobs, all having something to do with writing and research. Eventually, she landed in Hong Kong, where she became a reporter for United Press International. For six years, Suzanne lived and worked in China, and in 1979, UPI offered Suzanne her own bureau in South Asia. Several extraordinary events happened during her tenure there, including the taking of American hostages in Iran, and the Civil War in Afghanistan. Suzanne also traveled extensively with Indira Gandhi during this time. In 1985, Suzanne went to Pakistan to conduct a study on poor rural woman. It was during this time that she was inspired to write her first children's book, Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind . A sequel to Shabanu , Haveli , soon followed. Currently, Suzanne Fisher Staples lives with her husband, Wayne Harley, in Mount Dora, Florida, where she continues to write.